Train Time!
Ok, I’ll admit it, this set of GeoTrax has been as much fun for me as it has been for Tornado Boy. We’ve had it for quite a while now – probably around two years. We usually add a new piece for special occasions. I’m pretty sure that I bought the first pieces when DS was too young to really appreciate them. We put them away for a bit and then brought them back out. I have really enjoyed them – often staying up at night to create new track layouts while Tornado Boy sleeps. I really didn’t have any clue what would go into building a train track. It’s very easy to create issues, especially if you’re running more than one train. Trains can get “stuck” in certain sections of the track, or they can derail if you don’t allow for their speed. It’s been a learning experience!
Tornado Boy is finally starting to get interested in building his own track layouts. He’s definitely showing one of my worst qualities – frustration. He gets especially flustered when he’s trying to build track sections above the ground. It’s good for him. It forces him to solve problems. It forces him to try to be precise in his work. I try to hang back, offer him advice when he asks, and allow him to learn on his own. This week we worked on learning about the switches that come with the sets. Some of the switches are static and stay where you set them, others will move each time the trains passes through them. Tornado Boy is learning how to plan where he wants his trains to go. He’s also learning what happens when you overload a train with cargo and people – sometimes they can’t make it over hills, sometimes they’ll derail on the way down. Play, and learn!
I do love that even toys that aren’t intended to be “learning” toys still present a great opportunity to create teaching moments. This one really is a great learning toy.
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